Media and Public Access Law

At Skelton Taintor & Abbott, we are fierce defenders of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution—the guarantee of freedom of the press as a fundamental right. Our media and public access attorneys have developed in-depth knowledge and expertise in this highly specialized—and significant—part of Maine law.

The attorneys in the ST&A media and public access law team are active, civic-minded members of their communities ranked at the top of their professional fields. Their expertise, ethics and experience have made ST&A one of the most trusted sources for media law insight and advice in Maine.

We expertly leverage the Freedom of Information Act and the Maine Freedom of Access Act as we assist journalists and media outlets with:

Access to public proceedings and public records

Avoiding and defending defamation claims

We also represent local governments who receive requests for public records or who have concerns about their obligations under the Freedom of Access Act to provide access to their proceedings. Our practical advice helps them fulfill their legal duties, bolster public confidence, and maintain confidentiality when legally appropriate.

In today’s fast-paced media landscape, questions of access, confidentiality, and constitutionality need to be answered quickly and correctly to stay out of court. If you have a question, call the ST&A media and public access law team at 207.784.3200. We have answers, and we can help.

ST&A media and public access law attorneys took the City of Auburn to court to open ad hoc committee hearings to the Lewiston Daily Sun—and won. We represent the Lewiston Sun Journal and counsel many other media outlets on Maine and federal media law.